Mining-sluice.



No.797,168. PATBNTED AUG.15, 1905. P. BOUERY. MINING 3mm. APPLICATION FILED MAR 31 1900 fitness TlhilTTll) STATES PATENT UFETCE.

ltllll tlltlG t rtUltitllim E'apeeification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed March 31, 1905. Serial No. 253.061.

T0 at who/7t it 'IIM'LZ/ concern:

Be it known that I, PIERRE Bonner, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVeaverville, in the county of Trinity and State of California, have invented new and useful improvements in tlii'iing-Sluices, of which the 'lollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mining-sluices, and is particularly applicable to such sluices as are employed to save valuable and precious metals, while allowing the rock, boulders, and heavy valueless material to escape.

l t consists of combinations of parts and in details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my sluice. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the rail, showing the single blocks. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the rails, showing the double blocks. l ig. t is a transverse section of Fig. 3, showing the bolt securing two blocks with two rails.

For the purpose of saving the valuable and heavy material and separating it from the more worthless material and where this work is done in sluices the sluice stands at an incline and may have ritlies of suitable description extending transversely, and behind which ritfles the gold may be allowed to settle, and it may be amalgamated by placing a body of mercury behind each ritile. They may also lie longitudinally.

Where a large quantity of material is passed through a sluice there will of necessity be many large rocks and boulders, and if the incline of the sluice be very considerable the wear will be great unless some protection is afforded.

.ln order to protect the sluice and the rifl'les, it is customary to employ metallic rails of any description, which extend within the sluice, with su'tlicient inter-spaces to allow the liner sand and valuable material to settle, while the larger rocks or boulders will pass over the top.

In the drawings the sluice consists of a flat bottom and approximately vertical sides supported by stout sills and vertical timbers and braces. Such a structure is shown at A.

material to be saved.

stringers or riflles are placed the iron bars 3. These bars in the present case are shown in the form of railroad-rails, the base-flanges of which rest upon the timbers 2. In order to lock these rails in place and to unite them all lirmly together, 1 have shown the interspacing blocks at. These blocks are so formed that their ends will [it against the vertical webs of the rails, the bottom being curved or formed to substantially lit the top of the bottom flange of the rail, and the upper part of the blocks being so formed as to lit around the bottom an d side of the head of the rail. These blocks are of such length that when introduced at proper intervals between the rails they maintain them at a distance apart dependent upon the length of the blocks. This distance is such that when the rails rest upon the wooden ri'tl'les 2 the blocks will maintain them in that position.

lit the grade of the sluice is not great, single blocks may be employed. These blocks have a single hole made through them for the reception of the bolt 5, which passes through the block and through the web of the rail, and a nu t upon the opposite end of the bolt screwed up against the web of the rail will draw the block tightly against the rail and hold it in place. The opposite end of the block has a socket of sufficient size to receive the bolthead and allow it to be concealed within the thickness of the block, and this socket is deep enough to receive the nut and end of the bolt which projects through the next contiguous rail. Thus when all of the rails and blocks have been placed it will be seen that every bolt is inclosed and protected within the block which it holds to the rail, and there will be no wear caused by the attrition of the passing material. The blocks are cast and can be readily renewed.

WV hen what are known as double blocks are employed, two holes are made through the blocks which are suliicicntly wider for that purpose, and the blocks are fitted to the rails, as previouslydescribed. A bolt 5 then passes through two of the blocks which are in line and through the web of the intervening rail, and the end of the bolt passes through the next rail, where it is secured by a nut, as previously described. The other hole receives a bolt 5, which does not pass through the first-mentioned block and rail, but has its head embedded in the block between the first and second rails and it passes through the second rail, thence through a third block and through a third rail, where it is secured by a nut. The bolts thus alternate, and each serves to secure two rails and the intermediate blocks, the first bolt securing the first and second rail, the next bolt the second and third rail, then another bolt in line with the first secures the third and fourth, and so on, alternating as many series of these blocks as the width of the sluices and the necessities of the case require.

Usually a set of blocks at each end of the rail and a set in the middle will be found sufficient.

The double blocks are especially useful where the grade of the sluice is steeper and the great body of material is passed through the sluice. The whole structure of rails is thus firmly united together and prevented from either lifting or tipping over by the impact of the passing rocks or boulders.

In order to further lock the rails in position, I have shown rails 6 laid on side with their base-flanges secured against the side of the sluice and the heads resting upon the ends of the rails 3, as shown. Above these are liningblocks 7, which are fitted against the sides of the sluice to such a height that they will protect these sides from the wear of the passing rocks. These lining-blocks can be removed and replaced at will and the main body of the sluice thus indefinitely protected.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination in a sluice-box having riffles and T-rail bars fixed thereon, of interposed blocks separate from and located above the rifiies and fitting between the rails, and means for securing said blocks in place.

2. In a sluice having bottom and sides and rilfies, T-rails having their base-flanges resting upon the tops of said riffies extending from side to side of'the box, blocks having the ends formed to fit against the webs, flanges and heads of the rails, said blocks having bolt-holes made through them, and countersunk depressions to receive the heads and nuts of the bolts.

3. In a sluice having bottom and sides and obstructing rifiies, T-rails having their basefianges fixed upon the rifiies, blocks interposed between the rails having their ends fitting the curvature of the rail sides, holes made through the blocks and countersunk depressions at .the ends, bolts extending through said holes and through the railflanges, the heads of the bolts being inelosed within the depressions atone end of the block, and the nuts by which the bolts are secured to the rail-web being inelosed in the next adjacent block.

at. The combination in a sluice having bottom, sides and obstructing rifiies, with T-rails having their base -fianges fixed upon said rifiles, of interspacing-blocks fitting between contiguous rails, bolts by which the rails and blocks are secured together and chambers within the ends of the blocks to receive the bolt-heads and nuts and protect them from wear.

5. In a sluice having bottom, sides and obstructing riflies, T-rails having their basefianges resting upon the rifiies, interspacing locking-blocks by which the positions of the rails are maintained and securing-bolts'extending through and concealed within the blocks.

6. In asluice having bottom, sides and transversely-disposed riflles, rails mounted thereon with connecting-bolts, interspacing bolt-protecting blocks, rails fixed along the sides of the sluice and resting upon the rifiie-rails and lining-blocksfixed to the sides of the sluice above said longitudinally-disposed rails.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PIERRE BOUERY. \Vitnesses:

J OHN KoLL, J12, H. L. LOWDEN. 

